I thought, Oh boy here we go again with lawsuits. But, Blair's sauces are supposed to be way, way hotter than things like say, Dave's Instant Insanity which I have and makes me break out in a sweat just typing the words. There is some really nasty hot sauce out there and believe Blair's Mega Death is in that camp as I recall. If so, I might not blame the parents so much. On the other hand, where were they and why didn't they try it first? It's not like it's familiar like Tabasco, Pete's, Crystal, etc. "Here you go, Mega Death for your little kid." "Sure, why not."

I like hot sauce but at that rate all you get is heat and being obsessed with quenching it. Habanero and Scotch Bonnet come in around 150,000-325,000. That's plenty for me and I still get flavor with the heat.

The article isn't clear on whether the Blair's sauce is regularly served at the restaurant or if it was something the server had as his personal stash. I've got a buddy in Kansas City who carries around a bottle of Dave's Insanity Sauce and dares "tough guys" he runs into at bars and restaurants to try it just to see their reaction.

If the server was offering his personal bottle of Blair's to the kid, then he/she should be held equally responsible with the restaurant, and maybe more so, for any damages suffered by the boy. I'm not a big Steak n Shake fan, but on those few occasions I've visited, I've never seen a bottle of any hot sauce other than the SnS house brand of peppers marinating in vinegar.

More to this story than printed I am betting. Kid knew it was hot but not as hot as it was. I am sure he read the lable. Didn't know how hot it really was. Doesn't take much of that stuff to put you in a fetal position crying for Mommy...Russ

That is a very poorly written article. I have no way of knowing what the real facts are and have no way to draw any conclusions whatsoever. Oh, wait. I do know one fact. There is a lawsuit over hot sauce. The concept is interesting (which is why I clicked on this link!).

Here is a picture of the stuff. The family and the kid should have known. STOP BLAMING OTHERS. It is obvious that this stuff is nasty. If you think they did not know your crazy...Russ IT SAYS DEATH RIGHT ON IT!

"So you want the whole story? Well here it is. It turns out that this server in question was not even the Gann familys server. He was a server who was on his break, or was off duty. He was eating in the dining room right beside the server station but had removed his bow tie and apron. Usually the employees are required to eat in the break room but they are allowed to eat with the public if they remove their attire. I used to do that when I worked there after my shift was over. So the server brought his own hot sauce in and was eating it in his own food. The Gann family was eating across the way from him and the father noticed the hot sauce and asked the young man if he could try it. So he handed it to the father and even said that the stuff is really hot. And I think we know the rest. But I'm sure in speaking with the Gann family they didn't tell you all of that. But I'm sure you'll believe anything the pastor tells you. I think the best way to resolve this issue is called Pepto Bismol. I've never heard of a pastor sueing anybody or any company, especially for something that they should take responsibility for. It's called common sense. And if the son was 16 then he understood or could read the warning label on the bottle. But I guess it's true what they say, the nut doesn't fall too far from the tree. "

Thanks David_NYC, I did not see your reply until I had already posted mine. That first link you supplied actually does add some additional information, although there is still much lacking. What are the "severe injuries" and "permanent damages"?

Frankly, I consider myself quite educated and know a lot about food compared to the general public (but maybe not compared to many people here!) and love hot hot stuff. It would have never occurred to me that something could cause "severe injuries" and "permanent damages" simply because it has an extremely high Scoville count. Discomfort ... yes. Discomfort that maybe even lasts a couple days like a burn ... sure. But permanent damage?

It's sickening just how litigious the American people have become. Nobody wants to take responsibility for their own stupid behavior anymore, and if you want proof, just watch a few episodes of "Judge Judy". It sure wasn't like this when I was growing up.

MilwFoodlovers Hahaha. Thanks for the update. Now THAT sounds plausible. I'm surprised the Pastor missed the Commandment about "THOU SHALL NOT STEAL".

Just about nothing irks me more than un-Christian like Christians. In Christ like fashion would Jesus sue, or would he merely forgive them?

Employee: "Hey Jesus dude. Here's some hot sauce for your fish and bread. (Tee hee)" Jesus: "Thank you son, don't mind if I do.....WTF! You son of a #$%&*! I am so going to sue your $%^&*# sixteen year old $%^& from here to kingdom come! And I mean that literally!"